Student Testimonials

Jessica Covington

"I knew from age 12 that I wanted to go to law school,” says Jessica Covington, a
University of Michigan graduate and the current president of the School of Law’s Student
Bar Association. “I had the lofty dreams that I wanted to help people and be an advocate."

In her work with the Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic, Covington is making her childhood
dream a reality. As a law clerk, she assists individuals in expunging their criminal
records in order to secure employment and start a new chapter in their lives. She
also assists families with child custody and visitation rights. According to Covington,
Pepperdine helped her to make service a priority. “Service is such a huge part of
the Pepperdine mission,” she says. “And I feel thankful that these individuals let
me into their lives, and allow me to help them. The opportunity to learn drew me to
the clinic, but the service aspect keeps me coming back.”

Pepperdine’s proximity to Los Angeles was also a draw to Covington. Ultimately she
would like to pursue a career in entertainment, building on her interests in music
and television. She recently completed an internship with a leading talent agency,
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Covington describes the Pepperdine community as almost like a second family. When
Covington was struggling with the demands of school, she credits a Pepperdine faculty
member for helping her to move forward. “I thought I was going to leave, but this
faculty member said to me: ‘We’re on your side. We want you to be here,’” says Covington.
“It made a huge difference.”

Pepperdine's School of Law provides a superior legal education that aligns personal values with areas of interest, such as dispute resolution, religion, public interest, criminal, and entertainment law.